Conventionally, there have been known server devices provided with controlling portions for acquiring processing capability information of client machines, and network systems wherein such server devices are connected (referencing, for example, Patent Citation 1).
This Patent Citation 1 discloses a UPnP (Universal Plug and Play) network that includes a digital video camera and a digital television, where multimedia data (content data) stored on the digital video camera (server device) is sent to, and played on, a digital television (a client machine). In this UPnP network, the procedure for converting one content data, stored on the server device (the digital video camera) to a playback format (an MPEG format) that can be played back within the UPnP network regardless of the processing capability, or the like, of the client machines (digital televisions) is performed exclusively on the server device side. Given this, the structure is such that the content data that is converted into the MPEG format by the decision on the server device side is distributed to the client machine which has requested playback.
Moreover, in a home network technology, such as UPnP, that is structured by a server device and a plurality of client machines, the structure is such that playback (i.e., reproduction) format information (resource information), wherein details of a playback format wherein one content data, stored on the server device, is converted based on the processing capability of the server device, is stored internally in the form of a list. Moreover, the playback format list (i.e., reproduction format list) wherein the playback format information is listed is published on the home network.